National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a major cause of illness and death, and impose serious economic costs on patients and hospitals. The major reservoirs of MRSA in health care facilities are infected or colonized patients. The anterior nares and skin are common sites of MRSA carriage. Transient carriage of MRSA on the hands of health care workers is the predominant mode of transmission from health care workers to patients and further from one patient to other patient. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of MRSA carriage among health care workers. This prospective study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana on 250 health care workers of cardiac unit. Screening was done by collecting swabs from hands and anterior nares. The specimens were processed by standard procedures for the isolation of S. aureus and methicillin resistance was determined using cefoxitin, 30µg disks as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The carriage rate of MRSA among health care workers was found to be 8.4% out of which 5.6% were nasal carriers and 2.8% were carrying MRSA on hands. Screening of health care workers for MRSA carriage may help in reduction of MRSA prevalence in patients, decreased risk of spread to close contacts, reduction of glycopeptides use and long term cost savings.
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